The Experiment Continues

One of the things I like best about my CrossFit+dino-chow lifestyle is that it's made me much more receptive to the notion of Trying Things.™ When I was a devout Weight Watchers member or following the Zone, for example, I clung to the rules with a grip as tight as the pullup bar, desperate not to slip.

But bodies don't really follow rules.

And now that I've grown accustomed to that idea, I like it! How lovely that my body isn't just like yours – and yours isn't just like mine. But because we're all beautiful and unique, it's immensely helpful to think of all of this as an experiment to find the best way to care for our bodies, which are really just unpredictable bags of water and hormones that act as a container for our big brains and boundless hearts.

I like to pretend I'm my TV doppleganger: Abby Sciuto from NCIS. In addition to always looking super cute, she has an unrelenting curiosity that helps her find the truth. She doesn't give up when her first hypothesis doesn't pan out and she doesn't cling to her first idea – instead, she continues to experiment until she finds the answer.

If there's ever a movie of my life, I'd like Pauley Perrette to play me.  

Since January 1, I've been eating mostly no-cheat Whole30 style. I've done two back-to-back, no-cheat 30-day runs, with a few days of indulgence in between them. I've also been going to CrossFit class three times each week, and I added a new thyroid hormone prescription into my daily rotation.

The changes in my body have not been dramatic, but there has been some change. My jeans are looser. I've celebrated a few PRs. Some days, I have consistent energy from the moment I wake until I sink into the pillows.

But I want more.

I want to be leaner. I want my energy to be consistently high on most days of the week. I want to be stronger, and I want my appearance to reflect that strength.

Based on advice from my pals at Whole9Life (Chase performance.) and Robb Wolf (Watch nut consumption if weight loss is a goal.) and Mark Sisson (17 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight) and the coaches at CrossFit Austin (Lift heavy, rest more, and try more protein.) and my dear friend and fellow thryoid-fighter Erika (Try reducing starchy carbs, even post-workout.), I'm revising my plan.

From now until at least May 1 (Good heavens to Betsy Ross... that will be my 43rd birthday. How did this happen?!), I'm changing my workout schedule and making a few tweaks to my eating habits.

Training
Monday = CrossFit
Tuesday = heavy lifting (this is new! I wanted to do it, but haven't been consistent.)
Wednesday = rest (this is new!)
Thursday = CrossFit (new!)
Friday = CrossFit
Saturday = walk (new!)
Sunday = rest

This training plan includes more rest and a commitment to heavy lifting on my own once a week to supplement what happens at CrossFit Austin.

Eating
In addition to my squeaky clean dino-chow, I'm trying the following:

Only 1 serving of fruit per day. 
On workout days, that's blackberries after my workout. On rest days, it's 'dessert': half a serving at lunch and half a serving at dinner. I've been eating about 2 servings per day, so maybe this small reduction will kick my body into gear.

No nuts, nutbutter, or coconut butter.
I waiver in my ability to eat these things in moderation... and I found myself nibbling instead of mindfully eating them. If I'm really hungry, I should eat. If I'm looking for something to do or a pleasurable experience, I don't want to turn to macadamia nuts or coconut butter, not matter how tasty they might be. When I reach my body composition goals, I'll re-introduce nuts and butters as part of my PLANNED meals, but the days of walking into the kitchen and grabbing a spoon need to end.

A little more protein
Not a lot, just a little. The last two weeks, I've been stalked by a hunger monster. I felt like I was constantly in a state of either having just eaten or being hungry, so I'm going to try an increase in my protein to help compensate for the increased weight lifting and decreased fruit.

On January 9, I posted photos and my measurements. I was pretty optimistic that day about how eating strict Whole30 and the Circle of Awesomeness Challenge could change my body. But life intervened in the form of thyroid complications and the changes in my body haven't been as substantial as I'd hoped. On the upside, even with a wonky-donk thyroid, I'm still getting slightly leaner, enjoying my workouts, and growing a little stronger. For those things, I am grateful.

My original plan was to re-measure and photograph myself on April 3, but in light of my revised plan and new prescription, I'm pushin' that deadline to April 31.

Let the next phase of the experiment begin!